OF THE COUNTRY OF EGYPT; OF THE BIRD PHOENIX OF ARABIA; OF THE
CITY OF CAIRO; OF THE CUNNING TO KNOW BALM AND TO PROVE IT; AND OF
THE GARNERS OF JOSEPH

EGYPT is a long country, but it is straight, that is to say
narrow, for they may not enlarge it toward the desert for default
of water. And the country is set along upon the river of Nile, by
as much as that river may serve by floods or otherwise, that when
it floweth it may spread abroad through the country; so is the
country large of length. For there it raineth not but little in
that country, and for that cause they have no water, but if it be
of that flood of that river. And forasmuch as it ne raineth not in
that country, but the air is alway pure and clear, therefore in
that country be the good astronomers, for they find there no clouds
to letten them. Also the city of Cairo is right great and more huge
than that of Babylon the less, and it sitteth above toward the
desert of Syria, a little above the river above-said.

In Egypt there be two parts: the height, that is toward
Ethiopia, and the lower, that is toward Arabia. In Egypt is the
land of Rameses and the land of Goshen. Egypt is a strong country,
for it hath many shrewd havens because of the great rocks that be
strong and dangerous to pass by. And at Egypt, toward the east, is
the Red Sea, that dureth unto the city of Coston; and toward the
west is the country of Lybia, that is a full dry land and little of
fruit, for it is overmuch plenty of heat, and that land is clept
Fusthe. And toward the part meridional is Ethiopia. And toward the
north is the desert, that dureth unto Syria, and so is the country
strong on all sides. And it is well a fifteen journeys of length,
and more than two so much of desert, and it is but two journeys in
largeness. And between Egypt and Nubia it hath well a twelve
journeys of desert. And men of Nubia be Christian, but they be
black as the Moors for great heat of the sun.

In Egypt there be five provinces: that one is Sahythe; that
other Demeseer; another Resith, that is an isle in the Nile;
another Alexandria; and another the land of Damietta. That city was
wont to be right strong, but it was twice won of the Christian men,
and therefore after that the Saracens beat down the walls; and with
the walls the tower thereof, the Saracens made another city more
far from the sea, and clept it the new Damietta; so that now no man
dwelleth at the rather town of Damietta. At that city of Damietta
is one of the havens of Egypt; and at Alexandria is that other.
That is a full strong city, but there is no water to drink, but if
it come by conduit from Nile, that entereth into their cisterns;
and whoso stopped that water from them, they might not endure
there. In Egypt there be but few forcelets or castles, because that
the country is so strong of himself.

At the deserts of Egypt was a worthy man, that was an holy
hermit, and there met with him a monster (that is to say, a monster
is a thing deformed against kind both of man or of beast or of
anything else, and that is clept a monster). And this monster, that
met with this holy hermit, was as it had been a man, that had two
horns trenchant on his forehead; and he had a body like a man unto
the navel, and beneath he had the body like a goat. And the hermit
asked him what he was. And the monster answered him, and said he
was a deadly creature, such as God had formed, and dwelt in those
deserts in purchasing his sustenance. And [he] besought the hermit,
that he would pray God for him, the which that came from heaven for
to save all mankind, and was born of a maiden and suffered passion
and death (as we well know) and by whom we live and be. And yet is
the head with the two horns of that monster at Alexandria for a
marvel.

In Egypt is the city of Heliopolis, that is to say, the city of
the Sun. In that city there is a temple, made round after the shape
of the Temple of Jerusalem. The priests of that temple have all
their writings, under the date of the fowl that is clept phoenix;
and there is none but one in all the world. And he cometh to burn
himself upon the altar of that temple at the end of five hundred
year; for so long he liveth. And at the five hundred years' end,
the priests array their altar honestly, and put thereupon spices
and sulphur vif and other things that will burn lightly; and then
the bird phoenix cometh and burneth himself to ashes. And the first
day next after, men find in the ashes a worm; and the second day
next after, men find a bird quick and perfect; and the third day
next after, he flieth his way. And so there is no more birds of
that kind in all the world, but it alone, and truly that is a great
miracle of God. And men may well liken that bird unto God, because
that there ne is no God but one; and also, that our Lord arose from
death to life the third day. This bird men see often- time fly in
those countries; and he is not mickle more than an eagle. And he
hath a crest of feathers upon his head more great than the peacock
hath; and is neck his yellow after colour of an oriel that is a
stone well shining, and his beak is coloured blue as ind; and his
wings be of purple colour, and his tail is barred overthwart with
green and yellow and red. And he is a full fair bird to look upon,
against the sun, for he shineth full gloriously and nobly.

Also in Egypt be gardens, that have trees and herbs, the which
bear fruits seven times in the year. And in that land men find many
fair emeralds and enough; and therefore they be greater cheap. Also
when it raineth once in the summer in the land of Egypt, then is
all the country full of great mires. Also at Cairo, that I spake of
before, sell men commonly both men and women of other laws as we do
here beasts in the market. And there is a common house in that city
that is all full of small furnaces, and thither bring women of the
town their eyren of hens, of geese, and or ducks for to be put into
those furnaces. And they that keep that house cover them with heat
of horse dung, without hen, goose or duck or any other fowl. And at
the end of three weeks or of a month they come again and take their
chickens and flourish them and bring them forth, so that all the
country is full of them. And so men do there both winter and
summer.

Also in that country and in others also, men find long apples to
sell, in their season, and men clepe them apples of Paradise; and
they be right sweet and of good savour. And though ye cut them in
never so many gobbets or parts, overthwart or endlong, evermore ye
shall find in the midst the figure of the Holy Cross of our Lord
Jesu. But they will rot within eight days, and for that cause men
may not carry of those apples to no far countries; of them men find
the mountance of a hundred in a basket, and they have great leaves
of a foot and a half of length, and they be convenably large. And
men find there also the apple tree of Adam, that have a bite at one
of the sides; and there be also fig trees that bear no leaves, but
figs upon the small branches; and men clepe them figs of
Pharaoh.

Also beside Cairo, without that city, is the field where balm
groweth; and it cometh out on small trees, that be none higher than
to a man's breeks' girdle, and they seem as wood that is of the
wild vine. And in that field be seven wells, that our Lord Jesu
Christ made with one of his feet, when he went to play with other
children. That field is not so well closed, but that men may enter
at their own list; but in that season that the balm is growing, men
put thereto good keeping, that no man dare be hardy to enter.

This balm groweth in no place, but only there. And though that
men bring of the plants, for to plant in other countries, they grow
well and fair; but they bring forth no fructuous thing, and the
leaves of balm fall not. And men cut the branches with a sharp
flintstone, or with a sharp bone, when men will go to cut them; for
whoso cut them with iron, it would destroy his virtue and his
nature.

And the Saracens crepe the wood ENONCH-BALSE, and the fruit, the
which is as cubebs, they clepe ABEBISSAM, and the liquor that
droppeth from the branches they clepe GUYBALSE. And men make always
that balm to be tilled of the Christian men, or else it would not
fructify; as the Saracens say themselves, for it hath been
often-time proved. Men say also, that the balm groweth in Ind the
more, in that desert where Alexander spake to the trees of the sun
and of the moon, but I have not seen it; for I have not been so far
above upward, because that there be too many perilous passages.

And wit ye well, that a man ought to take good keep for to buy
balm, but if he con know it right well, for he may right lightly be
deceived. For men sell a gum, that men clepe turpentine, instead of
balm, and they put thereto a little balm for to give good odour.
And some put wax in oil of the wood of the fruit of balm, and say
that it is balm. And some distil cloves of gilofre and of spikenard
of Spain and of other spices, that be well smelling; and the liquor
that goeth out thereof they clepe it balm, and they think that they
have balm, and they have none. For the Saracens counterfeit it by
subtlety of craft for to deceive the Christian men, as I have seen
full many a time; and after them the merchants and the apothecaries
counterfeit it eft sones, and then it is less worth, and a great
deal worse.

But if it like you, I shall shew how ye shall know and prove, to
the end that ye shall not be deceived. First ye shall well know,
that the natural balm is full clear, and of citron colour and
strongly smelling; and if it be thick, or red or black, it is
sophisticate, that is to say, counterfeited and made like it for
deceit. And understand, that if ye will put a little balm in the
palm of your hand against the sun, if it be fine and good, ye ne
shall not suffer your hand against the heat of the sun. Also take a
little balm with the point of a knife, and touch it to the fire,
and if it burn it is a good sign. After take also a drop of balm,
and put it into a dish, or in a cup with milk of a goat, and if it
be natural balm anon it will take and beclippe the milk. Or put a
drop of balm in clear water in a cup of silver or in a clear basin,
stir it well with the clear water; and if the balm be fine and of
his own kind, the water shall never trouble; and if the balm be
sophisticate, that is to say counterfeited, the water shall become
anon trouble; and also if the balm be fine it shall fall to the
bottom of the vessel, as though it were quicksilver, for the fine
balm is more heavy twice than is the balm that is sophisticate and
counterfeited. Now I have spoken of balm.

And now also I shall speak of another thing that is beyond
Babylon, above the flood of the Nile, toward the desert between
Africa and Egypt; that is to say, of the garners of Joseph, that he
let make for to keep the grains for the peril of the dear years.
And they be made of stone, full well made of masons' craft; of the
which two be marvellously great and high, and the tother ne be not
so great. And every garner hath a gate for to enter within, a
little high from the earth; for the land is wasted and fallen since
the garners were made. And within they be all full of serpents. And
above the garners without be many scriptures of diverse languages.
And some men say, that they be sepultures of great lords, that were
sometime, but that is not true, for all the common rumour and
speech is of all the people there, both far and near, that they be
the garners of Joseph; and so find they in their scriptures, and in
their chronicles. On the other part, if they were sepultures, they
should not be void within, ne they should have no gates for to
enter within; for ye may well know, that tombs and sepultures be
not made of such greatness, nor of such highness; wherefore it is
not to believe, that they be tombs or sepultures.

In Egypt also there be diverse languages and diverse letters,
and of other manner and condition than there be in other parts. As
I shall devise you, such as they be, and the names how they clepe
them, to such intent, that ye may know the difference of them and
of others, - Athoimis, Bimchi, Chinok, Duram, Eni, Fin, Gomor,
Heket, Janny, Karacta, Luzanin, Miche, Naryn, Oldach, Pilon, Qyn,
Yron, Sichen, Thola, Urmron, Yph and Zarm, Thoit.